A Clear and Present Danger
"A Clear and Present Danger" is the first chapter of Volume Four of Heroes. It originally aired on February 2, 2009. Overview In her apartment, Tracy gets a call from the governor and turns on her television where she finds Nathan being interviewed about a new threat to the world. Tracy tells the governor she doesn't know a thing about it and she hasn't spoken to him in two months. When Tracy hangs up and changes into a bathrobe, she notices that her bathroom window is open. Suspicious, she looks around her apartment and finds a man in a commando outfit. Tracy tries to freeze him but it doesn't work because he is insulated. Tracy runs, trying to avoid him, but is confronted by more men. Tracy tells them she refuses to beg questions them about what they want before being shot by their leader. The men tie her hands and cover them with gloves as the leader calls Nathan that they got "the first one". Hiro takes Ando to a fire station and explains that it's now their lair. He presents Ando with a new spandex costume and explains that superheroes must hide their identity. Ando figures that Hiro wants to live through him, and his power is worthless. Hiro disagrees and says it's his destiny to be a superhero. Ando disagrees and Hiro reveals the Ando-cycle, complete with a communications link to their "lair". Hiro can track his location with a GPS implant, and injects Ando with the implant. He explains he has a GPS as well, and the system is keyed to the password of someone he cares about. Ando insists he has had enough and rides away on the Ando-cycle. Peter is working as a paramedic and dealing with a car accident victim. He's unable to save the victim and his partner Hesam finally pulls him off when Peter refuses to give up. Peter insists he could have saved him, had he been stronger. Claire is going over college brochures when Angela comes in and says that an elite education is vital. Claire isn't so sure but Angela insists she try to have a normal life. Claire worries about Sylar but Angela insists that he is dead. Her granddaughter doesn't believe her, saying that her father keeps going on trips and she'll find Sylar if no one else believes her. In Baltimore, Sylar goes to a watch shop and picks up a watch. The owner, Martin Gray, comes in and points a shotgun at him thinking he's a thief. Sylar asks where he lived 27 years ago and if he walked out on his family. Sylar says he is Martin's son and has some questions for him. Daphne superspeeds back into her apartment where Matt is eating. She says she's been working but he's unhappy that she's been using her powers when he's refused to. He wants to live a normal life but she insists it's boring. However, as he talks, a vision of Usutu appears to him. Daphne, who can't see it, says she'll go along with his plans. As Claire is leaving, she overhears Angela talking to someone. As she listens in and hears that it is Nathan talking to Angela, who admits she can't control Claire. Nathan warns that they have to keep Claire away from Matt and Peter because they're going to take them down. Claire sees that Angela has seen her and walks out, and Angela warns Nathan they have a bigger problem. Martin explains that he's a different person now and that it was a mistake to have a child with Sylar's mother. Sylar, using his ability, knows that he is not the son of a watchmaker and a woman who collected snow globes and demands answers, and Martin explains that a man who needed money gave Sylar to him. His wife couldn't have children and Martin thought it was the perfect answer. Martin explains the man was his brother and gives Sylar an address, before telling him to leave. Sylar knows he speaks the truth and considers using his power to get more information but decides not to and leaves. Peter watches as the dead man is taken away. His partner asks if Peter plans to visit his brother, who is in town for the day. He admits that Nathan scares him because he's talking about putting away people who are "different," and figures Peter wouldn't understand. Peter says he doubts it, then takes a call from Claire. She warns him about Nathan's plan to round up people and that Matt is their next target. Peter goes to talk to Angela while Claire goes to warn Matt. Peter gets in a cab and finds that Mohinder is the driver. They speak in a friendly manner, Peter asks Mohinder if he ever had the feeling like he was meant to do something extraordinary and they share a laugh. Mohinder notes that they're all keeping a low profile, except for Nathan. He says that the possibility of uncontrolled powers is a major risk and he's willing to let the government take control. They get to their destination and Mohinder lets him out. Once Peter is gone, a man gets in the cab behind him. It's the leader of the commando team, and he points a gun at Mohinder, telling him to drive. They go to a parking lot where men in black commando suits are waiting with guns. The man tells Mohinder to get in their van. As Mohinder gets out, he rips off the car door, knocks out the leader, and uses the door as a shield. He runs away and Noah arrives in a SUV and rescues him. As they escape, Noah asks him who he's been in contact with. They get to the exit only to discover that the hunter and his men have cut them off. Noah apologizes and then tasers Mohinder, who staggers out of the car and collapses. Peter arrives at Angela's home and finds Nathan waiting for him. Nathan informs his brother that their mother isn't there and apologizes for not having seen him in a while. He says it's all his own plan, not his father's plan and he's taking a cautious approach because he was shot the last time he tried to go public. Peter accuses him of being a hypocrite and Nathan says he'd like his input. Peter isn't interested but Nathan asks for a chance to talk over dinner. Peter gives in and leaves, but as he goes Nathan asks him what he can do. Peter points out that the last thing Nathan saw him do was fly, and then leaves. At his apartment, Matt notices that his turtle has gotten out of his tank. Usutu appears to him and says he has a message for him, and explains that he's an illusion. Usutu says that Matt is on a journey to become a prophet and the world needs him to tell them the future. He says that Matt will learn how to paint the future. Matt sits down with paper and pencil; his eyes turn white almost immediately and he starts to sketch. Matt finishes a picture of himself and Claire examining a picture as someone knocks on his door. He draws a gun and finds Claire. She asks if anyone has come to get him and Matt shows her the drawings. There are several other drawings and he says he doesn't understand. He finds another picture of himself with a dart in his neck, just as someone shoots a dart through the window into his neck. The men in black arrive and hold Claire at gunpoint as Matt goes down. Peter arrives at his apartment and finds Nathan waiting for him. Nathan apologizes for disowning him and says what he's doing is important for the country and the world. He says Peter can't live his life normally because he's not normal, and says he can make special arrangements. Peter wonders what he wants and Nathan says he wants to know that Peter is with him. Peter refuses and says that he'll fight him if necessary. Nathan smiles and asks for a hug, and Noah tasers Peter from behind. Sylar goes to the home of Samson Gray, taxidermist. The door is open and he walks inside. Sylar finds a picture of himself as a child on the mantelpiece as well as a snow globe. He also notices a smoking cigarette in an ash tray. More men in black emerge, shoot him with tranquilizer darts, and try to immobilize him. Sylar uses his telekinesis to send them back and his electrical powers to stun them. He pulls one of the men to him and demands answers, then starts to slice the man's head open until he talks. The man, Simmons, gives his name but nothing else and Sylar continues to torture him for information. Back at the lair, Ando tries to come up with Hiro's password, guessing "Kaito" and "Kensei", before finally entering his own name, successfully gaining access. Hiro's location is displayed at an airfield. At an airplane hangar, Nathan reviews his prisoners ,all hooded and confined to negate their powers. Danko reports that Sylar has escaped.He also shows Nathan a hooded prisoner(who seems to be semi-conscious as he/she can move his/her head which the other prisoners seem incapable of doing) who turns out to be Claire after his men remove her hood. Nathan orders them to release her into his custody.He then gives her a free pass as long as she doesn't interfere in his operations and tells her to forget what she's seen and puts her away in a car. The scene then switches to the prisoners being loaded onto the plane.Claire,after recovering from the drugs they've given to her kicks the driver's head to a window.She then runs to the plane and gets inside the plane by sneaking into the landing bay of the plane. Once aboard the plane,she unhoods Hiro,unconscious due to the drugs.Altough she tried to wake him up,Claire puts his hood back on as the guards look to her direction.She then unhoods another prisoner,Peter and wakes him up.He tells her to unhood Mohinder so he can absorb his power.Once he's finished he tells her to free the others.As Peter attacks the guards,Claire unhoods the others(Altough not everybody, as a few people are still seen with hoods covering their faces)which include Tracy,Hiro,an unnamed female fugitive and Matt.Claire then grabs a taser that belonged to a guard and goes to the cockpit,stunning one guard and threatening the pilot.She discovers that Noah is the co-pilot. Peter tries to free Tracy as another guard attacks him. He gains Tracy’s power and inadvertently touches the side of the plane. It freezes and shatters, and the guards and at least one prisoner(who turns out to be Sparrow Redhouse,as revealed in the graphic novels) are swept out. As the plane starts to go down, the netting Peter is holding onto comes unfastened and he starts to get swept away before Mohinder grabs hold of him. In the cockpit, the pilot loses control and the plane plummets towards the ground. The final shot shows Mohinder losing his grip on Peter's hand. Memorable Quotes "Once Ive entered the password, I can track your location anywhere on the planet with your GPS implant." "What GPS implant? "This One." - (Hiro, Ando, Hiro) "Your not fighting crime. You're at... a strip club" - (Hiro, to Ando) Trivia *The computer Hiro and Ando use is a Microsoft Vista. *At the airplane hangar, it is interesting to note that even though the heroes have hoods over their faces, thus making them unidentifiable, Tracy is the only one who can be identified due to the fact that when the prisoners are being loaded onto the plane and inside the plane,there is a prisoner that can be seen with gloves which the other prisoners don't have.Note:This is Tracy. *In Building 26, Claire mentions to her mother about the heroes being captured, drugged, hooded, Noah's job and she being there. Ironically, she also suffered the same fate as the other prisoners though she wasn't supposed to be a prisoner and she wasn't drugged to the extent of the others. *Why did Danko's men unhood Claire out in the open where there are cameras?Altough when she is escorted by Nathan,a camera only sees her body and head which means that her face was never seen by the cameras. *In Exposed, footage of this episode was reused. *When Claire was brought to Nathan, she is seen moving her head which the other prisoners seem to be incapable of which means that Claire is semi-conscious as opposed to the others who are unconscious and given the fact that Claire is Nathan's daughter, Danko's team didn't drug her to the extent of the others as they knew she's his daughter and that they weren't given orders to. *Strangely, despite Peter being his brother and Tracy being his girlfriend, Nathan ordered his men to capture Tracy and ordered Noah to taser Peter from behind and drug them to the extent of them becoming unconscious as opposed to Claire(see above). *In Rebellion,Part 1:Rebel Yell,it is revealed that Monica and Nana Dawson were prisoners of the plane.They were also two of the prisoners Claire didn't undrug and unhood.Strangely,Damon isn't present. *There is a hooded prisoner that is seen falling out of the plane yet he/she has his hood on so we can't see his/her face.In Rebellion,Part 2,this is revealed to be Sparrow Redhouse.Like the Dawsons,she is one of the prisoners Claire didn't undrug and unhood.There is a picture of her on the right,altough she is hooded. *There seems to be 12 prisoners of the plane excluding Claire(as revealed in the episode and the security footage seen in Exposed,you can see 6 prisoners in a row) and all of them have been revealed.For instance,Hiro,Peter,Mohinder,Tracy,an unnamed female fugitive and Matt have been unhooded which makes up 6 of the prisoners.With the reveal that 3 of the prisoners is 2 of the Dawsons and the hooded prisoner that fell out of the plane is Sparrow Redhouse,that makes up 9 of the prisoners.In the episode,a male fugitive can be seen in the background and in Rebellion,Part 2:Providence in the Fall of a Sparrow,Flint Gordon can be seen which makes up 11 prisoners.The final prisoner is so far unknown. *Strangely,a male fugitive can be seen unhooded in the background before Claire unhooded the others,yet,at the airplane hangar,everyone is hooded. *Claire did not unhood and undrug everyone on the plane(she only unhooded and undrugged half of the 12 prisoners on the plane),as we can see other prisoners who are hooded and drugged on the plane including one whose seat fell out of the plane.Though,all of them have been revealed(mostly in the graphic novels). *If Claire didn't take the taser, she would've undrug and unhood everybody revealing both Sparrow's face and a graphic novel exclusive character's face in an episode for the first time and the Dawsons' first appearance since Season Two though if she did,Sparrow would've been portrayed by Kat Purgal the woman she takes her likeness from. *If Peter didn't accidentally gain Tracy's power,the plane wouldn't fall down and the prisoners would've escaped. *This episode marks the first time a graphic novel exclusive character(besides Hana Gitelman) appears in an episode of Heroes,altough the character's face is not seen as she is hooded and she also has no lines. *This is the only time we see Sparrow Redhouse in an episode of Heroes,altough she has no lines and her face is not seen as she is hooded(see picture on the upper right). *This episode marks the first appearance of Sparrow Redhouse's present self.Her first appearance was in String Theory,altough it has her future self(explosion future)instead of her present self. *The graphic novels,Rebellion,Parts 1 and 2 take place during this episode. *Technically,Monica and Nana Dawson,Flint Gordon and Sparrow Redhouse do appear in this episode, but have no lines and are hooded. *Suprisingly,the main characters survive the crash as seen in the next episode altough the unnamed female fugitive isn't seen along with the others.Altough,as seen in the graphic novels,the other prisoners,(except for the unknowns) the Dawsons,Sparrow Redhouse and Flint Gordon are seen alive altough Flint is later killed with a headshot. *After this episode,the prisoners either escaped,got killed or got recaptured. *The name of the plane is Flight 195. *When Claire(who was semi-conscious)was brought to Nathan,she looked like she was going to collapse without any support which is(strangely)in contrast to the other prisoners(who were unconscious)who can stand up perfectly without any support. *After Claire unhoods and undrugs Tracy,Tracy is shown gasping for breath which the other prisoners don't do after being unhooded and undrugged.Then again,she could've been drugged for the remainder of the episode(as she only appears during the opening and the final scenes of the episode). *When the prisoners are being loaded onto the plane,if you listen closely you can hear a guard saying "Follow me.Nice and easy".This would seem rather pointless as the prisoners are wearing earmuffs so they can't hear. *It is unknown what facility the prisoners were being transported to on Flight 195. *People in hoods is very similar to the lives of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay. Images Cast Main Cast * Jack Coleman as Noah Bennet * Greg Grunberg as Matt Parkman * Ali Larter as Tracy Strauss * James Kyson Lee as Ando Masahashi * Masi Oka as Hiro Nakamura * Hayden Panettiere as Claire Bennet * Adrian Pasdar as Nathan Petrelli * Zachary Quinto as Sylar * Sendhil Ramamurthy as Mohinder Suresh * Cristine Rose as Angela Petrelli * Milo Ventimiglia as Peter Petrelli Recurring Roles * Brea Grant as Daphne Millbrook * Zeljko Ivanek as Emile Danko Guest Cast * Assaf Cohen as Hesam * Darren Kendrick as Flight 195 pilot * Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine as Usutu * Ned Schmidtke as Martin Gray * Steve Tom as Steve * Joel West as Daniel Simmons 314